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Once again England are toying with opponents, teasing and coaxing them before delivering that final thrust.

Bulgaria become the latest in a long list of victims put to the sword.

On Tuesday, Kosovo ranked 120th in the world are the Three Lions’ opponents. What will it be? Another four goal romp? Or will England do what they did to the Czech Republic and Montenego earlier this year and put five past them?

The Kosovans could even surprise – after all they’re second in Group A having briefly overhauled Gareth Southgate’s side with a 2-1 win over the Czechs.

But they won’t win. England just don’t do qualifying defeats.

It’s a decade next month since Ukraine beat them in the World Cup 2010 campaign. In the subsequent ten years, they’ve won 33 and drawn the other nine – stalemates which have invariably led to inquests and introspection.

Against a Bulgarian side for whom damage limitation appeared their only strategy, England didn’t enchant, thrill or turn on the style.

They simply went about their business, efficiently and professionally in the certain knowledge their quality would ultimately tell.

Just like in the Premier League, a chasm has opened between the best and the rest.

Chris Waddle raised the point during his punditry stint for the BBC that perhaps the time has come for the elite to avoid the humdrum predictability of the qualifiers and be handed automatic entry into major finals.

He has a point though the logistics would be less clear – and to England’s credit – for all their trials and tribulations in summer tournaments over the years, not every big nation has handled qualifiers as well as them.

Italy and the Netherlands immediately spring to mind.

There’s more chance of Brexit being sorted this month than England not qualifying.

Three wins out of three. Fourteen goals scored, just one conceded.

But according to Danny Rose, it’s over-simplistic to conclude the gap is growing between the top four to six and the rest.

He prefers to laud the qualities England than dwell on the inadequacies of others.

“We have a front three of Raheem, Harry and Marcus and then you have Jadon on the bench,” he said.

“They will always be expected to score goals and that is something we will never worry about.

“It’s more that the defence has to do its job and we will rely heavily on the front three and midfielders to chip away with goals.”

It’s a policy which continues to prove successful for a team continuing to impress at every level.

Winning is never boring and goalscoring should never be taken for granted. But it says much about international football today that the inaugural Nations League, matching teams according to their pedigree and ability, was on another planet to these qualifiers when it came to drama and edge of seat enjoyment.